UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

REGION 4 

ATLANTA FEDERAL CENTER 

61 FORSYTH STREET 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-8960 

DCT 0 6 2014 

Ms. Virginia Faye 

Assistant Regional Administrator for Habitat Conservation 

National Marine Fisheries Service 

Southeast Regional Office 

263 13th A venue South 

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 

Dear Ms. Faye: 

Please find enclosed for your review a copy ofthe Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for 

designation of an Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS) offshore Jacksonville, Florida which 

includes as Appendix D an Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Assessment. The FEIS was jointly prepared by 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 and the U.S. Anny Corps of Engineers (USACE) 

Jacksonville District to fulfill the reporting requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended. The EPA is the lead Federal agency and the USACE is a cooperating agency. The 

FEIS provides the infonnation necessary to evaluate need and alternatives with respect to the 

designation of a new ODMDS pursuant to Section 102 ofthe Marine Protection, Research and 

Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) of 1972, as amended. The FEIS identifies Alternative 1 a as the preferred 

alternative. In response to public and agency comment to the Draft EIS, the boundaries of Alternative I 

were modified in the FEIS and subsequently referred to as Alternative 1 a. Alternative 1 a consists of 

expansion of the existing ODMDS to the south and east. The purpose of the ODMDS is to accommodate 

disposal of dredged material generated over the next 50 years from the Jacksonville Harbor Navigation 

Project, Naval Station Mayport and the proposed Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project. All dredged 

material must meet the environmental criteria established in the EPA's Ocean Dumping Regulations. 

The FEIS contains a draft Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP) for both preferred 

alternatives (Appendix F). The MPRSA requires that these plans be developed prior to designation with 

an opportunity for public comment. 

The EPA is submitting the enclosed EFH Assessment in accordance with Section 305(b )(2) of the 

Magnusan-Stevens Act and NOAA Fisheries' implementing regulations at 50 CFR Section 600.920. 

EFH exists throughout the study area for several species and species groups. Effects to the water 

column, such as increased turbidity, are expected to be temporary. Direct effects of sedimentation are 

not expected to be substantial due to the mobility of the majority of federally managed species that may 

occur within the project area and the lack of geographic constraints within the vicinity of the project 

area. Benthic infaunal organisms and sessile organisms that serve as prey or that provide microhabitats 

to managed species are expected to be affected by disposal activities. Species and species groups 

preferring soft sediment (e.g., penaeid shrimp) may find the disposal of fine sediment attractive and may 

even benefit from disposal activities. The expansion of the Jacksonville ODMDS may provide some 

refuge for epibenthic invertebrates (e.g., penaeid shrimp, brown rock shrimp) and demersal fishes (e.g., 

black sea bass, rock sea bass, juvenile red snapper) from shrimp trawler activities as disposal sites are 

avoided by trawlers for fear of net damage. 

Internet Address (URL) • http://www.epa.gov 

Recycled/Recyclable • Printed w~h Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 30% Postconsumer) 
The enclosed EFH Assessment has been revised in response to your agency's comments on July 11, 

2012. The EPA provided an interim response on August 2, 2012, providing additional information 

requested regarding the amount ofhardbottom within the three alternatives and the quantity and location 

of Oculina cf. varicose (ivory tree coral) and Astrangia poculata (northern star coral) fragments 

collected during the designation surveys. This information has also been incorporated into the revised 

EFH Assessment. In response to your agency's EFH Conservation Recommendations, the EPA modified 

the boundaries of Alternative I (referred to as Alternative I a) to decrease impacts to rubble areas from 

6.9 acres to 3.5 acres. Although this alternative still has more hardbottom habitat than the other 

alternatives, it has fewer overall impacts to biological and socioeconomic resources and was therefore 

chosen as the preferred alternative. 

In summary, the EPA has concluded that any adverse impact to EFH as a result of expansion of the 

Jacksonville ODMDS will be minor. Furthermore, we believe that this site designation action complies 

with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Policies for disposal of dredged materials. Any 

additional EFH conservation recommendations provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service will 

be reviewed and considered prior to final rulemaking. We would appreciate receiving any final EFH 

Conservation Recommendations and any comments on the SMMP within 30 days of receipt of this letter 

or November 17, 2014, whichever is later. If you have any questions regarding this assessment or the 

designation ofthe ODMDS, please contact Mr. Chris McArthur at (404) 562-9391 or 

mcarthur.christopher@epa.gov. 

Sincerely, 

~:t~ Chief 

Wetlands, Coastal and Watersheds Branch 

Enclosures 

cc: Mr. George Getsinger, NMFS (w/ enclosures) 

Mr. Pace Wilbur, NMFS (w/ enclosure) 

Mr. Patrick Griffin, USACE-SAJ (w/o enclosures)